Master composters on hand to cut landfill in the county

RESIDENTS are being urged to compost garden and uncooked fruit and vegetable waste.

Each year in Leicestershire more than 300,000 tonnes of rubbish and recyclables are produced by residents.

Around 22 per cent is waste which could have been composted rather than binned,

To help improve composting rates, Leicestershire County Council is offer- ing cut-price compost bins to help reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

Cllr Blake Pain, cabinet member for waste management, said: “Spring is usually the ideal time for people to start mowing their lawns, trimming hedges and pruning shrubs.

“Composting is a great way to feed your garden, it is better for the environment and, if you’re normally a compost buyer, you’ll also be saving money.”

Compostable items include fruit and vegetable peelings, grass cuttings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, newspapers and cardboard boxes which will all decompose in a matter of months.

The resulting compost can then be dug back into the garden to provide nutritious soil for budding crops.

Leicestershire residents can pick up a compost bin at a subsidised price, from only £10.98.

The bins are made from recycled plastic, adding to their environmental credentials.

For more details or to order a home composter visit www.getcomposting.com or call 0844 571 4444.

Residents can also call on the support of a Master Composter, volunteers who use their own skills and enthusiasm to raise awareness of the benefits of home composting, including how it can reduce the amount of organic waste sent to landfill.

You can contact a Master Composter by emailing wasteprevention@leics.gov.uk or find out more by visiting http://www.lesswaste.org.uk/compost/home-com-posting/